She's My Wife
by captain starbuck
Summary: Secret Santa Fic from Calzona LJ. "Callie and Arizona have reunited, but are dating slowly (still living apart while they get to know who they are now), and no one knows. What happens to their relationship when their friends at the hospital decide to get involved to make them move on with their lives?" Story has six chapters and will be posted in its entirety over the next 2 days.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:**** She's My Wife (Secret Santa Fic for pensco_927)**

**Author:****captstarbuck**

**Beta/Editor:****Stacy d'Lacy (best beta on the planet)**

**Pairing: ****Callie/Arizona**

**Rating: ****T**

**Secret Santa Prompt**: _**Callie and Arizona have reunited, but are dating slowly (still living apart while they get to know who they are now), and no one knows. What happens to their relationship when their friends at the hospital decide to get involved to make them move on with their lives? Rating: Author's preference**_

**Disclaimers: ****All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual****.**

Chapter 1

It began, oddly enough, with an unsuccessful attempt at an extended olive branch three days before New Year's.

Callie hadn't meant to, but she couldn't help but overhear Alex and Jo by the nurses' station on the surgical floor, talking about Arizona. As far as the Latina knew, Jo wasn't altogether thrilled about having a roommate so it completely took her by surprise when the younger woman spoke with some empathy for Arizona. From everything she'd heard Callie had found out that Arizona had been drunk on Christmas Day – as in _falling down_ drunk.

"You must be exaggerating," Callie said as she reached for a chart. "Arizona doesn't get drunk."

"Not that it's any of your business, but she was," Alex said harshly. "And it's your fault."

"Excuse me? She's a grown woman. She makes her own decisions. I have nothing to do with it."

"Yeah, right," Alex muttered. "You just had to have Sofia for Christmas morning. You couldn't share that moment with your wife?"

"Ex-wife," Callie corrected.

"Are you divorced?" he asked, his voice cold.

"No."

"Then she's still your wife. Whatever," Alex grumbled. "Point is, she's Sofia's mother too, and you denied her the moment of seeing her daughter open her Christmas presents from Santa Claus."

"She had Sofia Christmas Eve," Callie defended.

"Well it sucked for Robbins," Alex fired back. "I think it was a pretty asshat thing for you to do. Surely you could've put your differences aside for one freaking day for your daughter."

"I didn't want to confuse Sofia any more than she already is," Callie argued.

"Right. Whatever. You broke up with Arizona, and somehow you act like it's her fault." Alex slammed his chart shut. "I've got patients," he said, stomping off.

Jo had the good sense to look embarrassed by her boyfriend's words, but she also kind of agreed with him. She'd never expected to come home Christmas evening with Alex after a long shift to find Arizona completely wasted. The older woman had been slumped on the sofa, a nearly empty bottle of whiskey next to a pile of used tissues. The blonde had obviously been crying earlier as her cheeks were tear stained and her eyes red rimmed. She'd managed, with some prodding from Jo and Alex, to tell them about how devastated she was at not getting to spend Christmas morning with Sofia. Arizona had gone back and forth between ranting about Callie to bursting into tears when she mentioned Sofia's name.

The resident had been shocked to see Arizona in such a state. The older woman had always seemed so composed, so controlled and to find her drunk had Jo re-evaluating her opinion of her roommate. Seeing Arizona so shattered brought out a protective, empathetic side to Jo.

"He's tired and cranky," Jo apologized.

"But he's right," Callie said, surprising them both. "I'll see you later," the Ortho surgeon said as she set the chart down.

Callie's schedule was light on surgery and she'd already completed her rounds. She needed to think so she roamed the halls. She hadn't given it much thought when she insisted on having Sofia for Christmas day. Despite what Alex thought, her desire to have Sofia on Christmas wasn't about excluding Arizona or punishing her. Callie had just wanted one day where she could feel truly happy. Her career had been going well; better than well, actually. She was having real success with her veteran's project, but something was lacking in her personal life. Drinks with Meredith or Owen wasn't enough anymore. She thought for sure spending Christmas with Sofia all to herself would bring her some joy.

Christmas Day, however, hadn't turned out the way she'd expected. After her initial excitement of opening presents from Santa Claus, and playing with her new toys, Sofia had become cranky and kept asking for her Mama. To be honest, Callie missed Arizona as well. It hadn't really felt like Christmas without Arizona. This was supposed to be their first Christmas in their new home and it saddened Callie that her wife, ex-wife, wasn't there for any of it.

After putting her crying daughter to bed for a short nap before they'd have their dinner, Callie had sat down with a large glass of wine. Her feelings were all over the place. She missed Arizona, and she was angry with Arizona, too. If the blonde hadn't cheated, would they have gotten to this point? Could she ever get past the cheating?

She continued to walk through the halls of the hospital, lost in thought. Without even thinking about it, Callie found herself on the Peds floor. She didn't realize where she was until she saw Arizona standing by the nurses' station. Even though her ex-wife was still working on her fellowship in fetal surgery, the blonde still worked in Peds from time to time. Seeing Arizona gave Callie an idea.

"Hey," Callie said, walking up to Arizona.

"Callie," Arizona said tonelessly, not looking up.

"Can I talk to you?" Callie asked.

Sighing, Arizona set down the chart she was writing in and braced herself for whatever bad news Callie was about to deliver.

"Is it about Sofia?" Arizona asked back.

"Sort of, I guess."

Arizona folded her arms across her chest and faced Callie. She hated that she still felt a tugging at her heart whenever she saw her ex-wife. She'd tried to go on with her life, but the pain of their breakup was still so keenly felt that it nearly crippled her at times. It helped that they rarely saw each other, but every time Callie was in her presence, all the feelings she still had for her rushed to the surface.

"Do you have any plans for New Year's?" Callie asked.

"Why? Do you need a babysitter so you can go out?" Arizona snapped.

"Well, no," Callie replied. "I just thought you might want to spend it with Sofia and me."

"Oh," Arizona said in a small voice, instantly chagrined. She'd often accused Callie of jumping to the wrong conclusions and now here she was, doing the same thing.

"I was wrong to keep Sofia away from you on Christmas, and it was never my intention to shut you out. I wasn't thinking when I demanded that she spend it with me," Callie apologized in a rush of words.

Arizona was shocked and it took every bit of willpower she had to keep her mouth from dropping open. When she saw Callie approach her, this was the last thing she'd expected. Her arms fell to her sides as she lost her defensive posture.

"I think it would be a good thing if we started doing things like spending the big holidays together with Sofia. It isn't fair to her or either of us," Callie continued.

"Okay…" Arizona wasn't sure how to respond. Spending time together, the three of them as a family, and then have to leave at the end of the day would probably kill her. But maybe she could do it for Sofia? Could she do that?

"And I know it's not the same as Christmas, but I thought we could start with New Year's." Callie searched Arizona's face for some inkling of how the blonde felt. She wasn't surprised that Arizona's expression hadn't changed; her ex-wife had gone back to her old ways of hiding how she truly felt.

"So, what do you think?" Callie prodded. "I know it's short notice and all…" her voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Callie, but I can't." Seeing the obvious disappointment in Callie's face (and was that a hint of jealousy too?) and knowing how difficult it must have been for the Latina to even ask, Arizona put her hand on Callie's arm. She ignored the old familiar tingling that she got whenever she touched Callie and she ignored the slight tremble under her fingertips. "I'm working New Year's Eve and I'm on call the next day. I'll be here."

She couldn't help but notice the look of relief that crossed Callie's face. "But thank you for asking," she said, giving her estranged wife a smile.

The two women stared at one another, not sure what to say. Before the moment became too awkward they were saved by the sound of Callie's pager.

"I gotta go," Callie said, looking at the small device. "I'll talk to you later."

Arizona watched Callie walk away. She was baffled by their encounter, but still pleased that they'd been able to speak to one another without angry words or walking away in tears. Maybe this was the first step to them becoming friends. Arizona wasn't altogether happy with that thought; she still wasn't quite ready to accept they were completely over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ready to go surprise Mama?" Callie asked Sofia as she buckled the young girl into her car seat.

"Yes!" Sofia exclaimed excitedly. "We go see Mama!" She clapped her hands and kicked her feet.

Callie smiled at her daughter's obvious joy at getting to see her Mama. The Latina knew that most people would question why she taking a breakfast to Arizona at the hospital; even she wasn't sure why she was doing it. She could only rationalize her actions by telling herself that it was all for Sofia.

Once Sofia was settled, Callie set the large bag filled with all kinds of breakfast goodies for the three of them on the floor of the passenger seat. She'd fed Sofia a light snack to tide her over until they got to the hospital. There was no way she'd take Sofia anywhere if she was crabby from being hungry.

The drive to the hospital was quick as there wasn't much traffic this early on New Year's morning. After parking the car in the employee lot, Callie took out her phone and sent a text to Arizona.

C: Are you still at work?

A: Yes. Why?

C: Where are you?

A: My office. Is something wrong? Is Sofia okay?

C: Sofia is fine.

Callie dropped her phone into her purse and ignored the beep that was surely Arizona texting her back. She helped Sofia out of her car seat, grabbed the bag and soon mother and daughter were walking into the hospital. Stepping into the elevator, Callie picked Sofia up.

"Which number, Mommy?" Sofia asked as her small hand hovered over the buttons.

"Press the five."

Sofia's giggle as she pressed the button reminded Callie of Arizona. Even though Sofia was not biologically Arizona's, there were still little things that Sofia did that were totally Arizona.

"We see Mama soon?"

"We will. Very soon."

As they exited the elevator, Arizona was standing there, her phone in her hand. The woman was clearly exhausted from having worked a double shift. There was also a somewhat subdued panicked look on her face.

"Callie? Why didn't you answer? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"We surprise you, Mama!" Sofia said, stretching her arms out for Arizona.

Arizona adroitly took Sofia from Callie's arms and hugged her. "Surprise me?"

"We brung you breakfast, Mama," Sofia said.

"_Brought_ breakfast," Callie and Arizona said, correcting Sofia at the same time.

"Yes. We eat now?" Sofia asked. "I'm hungry."

"Callie, what's going on?" Arizona asked as she set Sofia down. Her daughter was getting too big for the tired blonde to carry around this morning. She'd been on her feet most of the night in back-to-back emergency surgeries and her leg was sore.

"Well, since you had to work, Sofia and I decided to bring you breakfast," she explained, holding the large bag up. "I even made a thermos of that French roast blend."

"Really?" Arizona asked, her eyes lighting up with the thought of her favorite coffee.

"I thought we could eat in the attendings' lounge," Callie suggested. "It's got a microwave and I need to reheat a few things."

"Sure, sounds good."

If Callie's invitation a few days ago had baffled Arizona, the dark haired woman's actions now had the blonde completely bewildered.

"Let's go, Mama," Sofia urged as she tugged on Arizona's hand.

Giving Callie a confused look over her shoulder, Arizona led Sofia down the nearly empty hallway to the attendings' lounge.

"Do you need me to help, Callie?" Arizona asked after helping Sofia into a chair.

"Nope. You just spend some time with Sofia. It won't take me long at all."

Sofia chattered away, telling her Mama about everything she'd down since she'd last seen her while Callie quickly unloaded the bag. Before she opened any of the containers she brought, she handed Arizona the thermos.

"I'm pretty sure it's still hot."

"Thank you, Callie."

Callie first opened the small containers of fruit and pastries then she set out three plates and three glasses along with silverware.

"I've got pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs. I just need to heat them up in the microwave."

As she watched Callie place the food in the microwave, Arizona felt like she had stepped into an episode of the Twilight Zone. What Callie was doing was something she would've done if they were still together. It confused her and she didn't know what to think. It was by far the nicest thing Callie had done for her since they'd split up. She decided to stop questioning it for the time being and just enjoy it as a rare family moment.

The two women hardly spoke during their meal, both using Sofia as a buffer. By the time their plates were clear, they had finally fallen into an easy conversation, mostly about Sofia and work.

"Thank you, Callie. This was very considerate of you. It's been fun and I really appreciate getting the extra time with Sofia."

"I've had a good time, too, Arizona," Callie agreed as she picked up the dirty dishes and resealed the containers. "I was wondering…"

"What?" Arizona asked as she poured the last of her heavenly coffee into her mug.

"I think… I'd like… what do you think of doing this once or twice a week?"

"What? Breakfast?"

"Not exactly. Maybe we could all get together for dinner once a week, and then maybe spend a day a week doing something special with Sofia."

"I don't know, Callie." She took a sip of her coffee.

"I think if would be good for Sofia." Callie paused, then nervously said, "And us, too."

"I guess so. We'd have to do a better job of coordinating our schedules, but I guess we could do it."

"Great!" Callie said giving Arizona a warm smile. "Just let me know what your schedule is like and we'll have you over for dinner this week."

"I will." Arizona's pager began to beep. She glanced down at it. "Incoming trauma. I have to go," she said getting up from the table. "Thank you so much, Callie."

"You're welcome. Now go."

Arizona gave Sofia a quick kiss on the top of her head and left the room.

Callie watched Arizona hurry from the room. It took only a few seconds before Callie felt the blonde's absence. It had taken a little while, but they'd finally felt comfortable enough around one another to relax. It made Callie feel sad and happy at the same time; sad because she realized what they'd lost and happy because not everything between them had disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:**** She's My Wife (Secret Santa Fic for pensco_927)**

**Author:****captstarbuck**

**Beta/Editor:****Stacy d'Lacy (best beta on the planet)**

**Pairing: ****Callie/Arizona**

**Rating: ****T**

**Secret Santa Prompt**: _**Callie and Arizona have reunited, but are dating slowly (still living apart while they get to know who they are now), and no one knows. What happens to their relationship when their friends at the hospital decide to get involved to make them move on with their lives? Rating: Author's preference**_

**Disclaimers: ****All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual****.**

Chapter 2

It had taken some doing on both their parts, but Callie and Arizona were able to work out a schedule that allowed them to share a dinner once a week with Sofia. They found it easier to have dinner together at the house than to have it at Alex's house. Callie was grateful that Arizona had agreed to it. She could only imagine how hard it was for the blonde to come to the place that was once her home, and Callie made it clear on more than one occasion how much she appreciated it.

Even with their tight schedules they also made time to spend a day once a week together with Sofia. One Saturday when the weather was nice (a Seattle rarity in January), they made a trip to the Woodland Park Zoo. The next week they took Sofia to the Children's Museum. Another rainy Saturday they spent building a fort out of blankets, followed by a tea party with Sofia's favorite stuffed animals. Sofia still couldn't understand exactly why her Mama always left, but she thrived on getting attention from both her mothers.

Callie found herself looking forward to the time with Arizona as well, especially their weekly dinners. After putting Sofia to bed, the two women often relaxed in the living room with a glass of wine before Arizona returned to Alex's house. It had been a little awkward at first, and they mostly talked about Sofia and their upcoming plans for their weekend day with their daughter. With each dinner, however, Arizona began staying later.

As the weeks progressed, their conversations became easier, more comfortable. Arizona talked about her work, sharing her pride in her successes. Callie enjoyed hearing and seeing the confident Arizona again. At least one good thing had come out of their split; Arizona was once more hitting her stride professionally. The blonde had also become more open about sharing the cases where the outcomes hadn't been so good. That was another change. In the past, Arizona wouldn't discuss them with anyone, preferring to just soldier on in silence.

With everything that had happened with them over the past few years, Callie had forgotten how much she'd simply enjoyed Arizona's company. So much of their lives had revolved around one crisis after the next, they'd let "them" disappear.

As she rinsed out the wine glasses after Arizona had left one night in late January, Callie finally realized that she missed Arizona more than she thought she would or ever could again. The house was too empty, too quiet when the blonde left. She remembered Arizona asking her once if she missed the blonde, and Callie had truthfully answered that of course she did. When Arizona had followed that up with a 'but not enough' Callie had remained silent. She wasn't ready to admit that there were times she missed Arizona so much it almost physically hurt. With time, the ache lessened and Callie was sure she was over the blonde.

The time spent with Arizona the past few weeks, however, had brought the familiar yearnings to be with the blonde again. She felt like she'd been given a glimpse into how it should've been for them, and how, maybe, it could be. She'd never stopped loving Arizona, never questioned her love for the blonde, but now she felt like she was falling in love with Arizona all over again. She was scared of how strongly she still felt for the woman who had broken her heart more than once, and she also feared that Arizona didn't feel the same way.

Choking back a sudden sob, Callie set the wineglass down. She didn't want to just be friends who co-parented their daughter. She wanted Arizona back in her life as more than that, but she was also afraid it was too late. She needed Arizona in her life, but she wasn't so sure she was ready to risk their newly found, somewhat fragile friendship.

Deciding another glass of wine was a bad idea, Callie filled a glass with water and returned to the living room. She needed a way to figure out if Arizona felt the same way. There were times Callie had caught the blonde staring at her with what appeared to be longing, but the Latina wasn't sure. She thought maybe she was reading more into it, seeing what she wanted to see. Sighing heavily, she got up from the couch. She checked on Sofia one last time before retiring to bed.

Arizona stood beside her mentor as they scrubbed out from a long but successful surgery.

"Nice job, Robbins," Dr. Herman said.

The blonde nodded, knowing that there was more to come than just a compliment.

"It looks like you've finally learned something," the older woman continued.

Arizona bit her lip and kept quiet.

"Go home, Robbins," Dr. Herman ordered. "You look like hell," she added as she left the room, on her way to speak to the patient's family.

The words may have been abrupt, but Arizona knew that it was tantamount to Nicole saying she was concerned. Arizona slowly exhaled, not even realizing she'd been holding her breath while she waited for the older woman to leave.

She finished scrubbing out and then leaned against the sink. She was beyond tired, and not just from the surgery. Being stressed out was more than exhausting. She'd screwed up; not monumentally 'I cheated on my wife' screwed up, but it was bad. And between worrying about what she'd done and avoiding Callie for the past week, she was just plain wiped out.

Pulling off her scrub cap, she exited the room. She quickly glanced both ways, relieved that she didn't see Callie. She just didn't know what she'd do if she saw the Latina, and she didn't know what excuse she could use to avoid their weekly dinner with Sofia. An emergency surgery had given her an out for missing her 'family' day with Sofia, but with Herman telling her to go home, she had no reason to miss dinner.

As she headed for the locker room, the blonde once again thought about what she'd done a week earlier. She'd had a great time with Sofia and Callie at their weekly dinner, and she and Callie had talked for several hours after Sofia had gone to bed. It had been nice, _very_ nice, comfortable and easy even, until she'd gotten up to leave. Callie had walked her to the door and after Arizona had opened the door, she'd instinctively, almost routinely, placed a kiss on Callie's cheek. The action had seemed so natural. When she'd realized what she'd done, Arizona had quickly stumbled away, ignoring the quiet "Arizona" that had fallen from Callie's lips.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_, Arizona silently berated herself as she entered the locker room. _Just when we were finally getting along I had to do something like that_. She sank down onto the bench in front of her locker and put her head into her hands. Sooner or later she was going to have to face Callie and probably do a massive amount of groveling and apologizing. Of course, to do that, she had to stop avoiding Callie, but the blonde just didn't know if she could face the Latina's ire, and she just _knew_ Callie had to be angry. _Why wouldn't she be angry? Callie's gone out of her way to set up these family moments and I had to blow it by kissing her_.

As if kissing Callie hadn't complicated things enough, the realization that she was still in love with her wife put her over the edge. She knew deep down that she'd always love Callie. How could she stop after loving the woman for years? But the blonde had done such a good job of suppressing her true feelings that she'd started to believe that she was no longer in love with the Latina.

_Callie might forgive me for the kiss, but there's no way I can hide how I feel. She'll know_. Arizona rubbed her temples_. I'm just going to have to stop these dinners and family days with Sofia until I can get a better handle on my feelings_.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Callie knew Arizona had been avoiding her and Callie let it go at first. She knew the blonde was 'processing'; it was what Arizona did. For Callie, it was hard to know when the processing would cross over into freaking out. She was sure she'd waited too long, though, as she was certain Arizona had moved into that stage. The last time she'd seen Arizona was when Arizona had brought Sofia home two days ago. The blonde had looked stressed out and she'd left immediately with some excuse about needing to get back to the hospital. Callie had let it slide at the time, but now she needed to talk to Arizona.

The Ortho surgeon knew exactly why Arizona was freaking out and Callie was surprised that she, herself, was not. She'd been stunned when Arizona had kissed her. Granted, the kiss had only been a light peck on the cheek but Callie had been shocked into temporary silence. It wasn't until Arizona was nearly out the door when she'd managed to utter the blonde's name. Callie wanted to go after her, but by the time she could get her feet to move, Arizona was in her car and driving away.

That brief contact of Arizona's lips on her cheek and the spark she felt inside only confirmed what Callie knew deep down; she was in love with Arizona, and probably would be forever. A separation from the blonde that Callie had demanded had done nothing to diminish her feelings.

As Callie approached the surgical board, she saw one of the nurses erasing Arizona's surgery with Herman.

"Is Dr. Robbins out of surgery?" Callie asked, needing to confirm her suspicions.

"Yes. Dr. Robbins and Dr. Herman finished about twenty minutes ago."

Nodding her thanks, Callie quickly scanned the rest of the board. Arizona had no more surgeries scheduled. She paused for a moment then decided that Arizona was probably in the locker room. In an attempt to quell the nervousness she felt, Callie deliberately slowed her stride as she made her way to the locker room.

The Latina took a deep breath before swinging the door open. She felt a sudden pang in her chest when she saw the clearly distressed blonde sitting by herself. Arizona's head was in her hands and there appeared to be tears in her eyes. _I waited too long_, she thought_. I should've spoken to her earlier_.

Callie debated with herself, trying to decide how to approach the other woman. She didn't know if she should go with her first instinct and show some empathy or if she should pretend that nothing was wrong. Before she could decide, Arizona looked up as she was suddenly aware of Callie's presence in the room.

"Hey," Arizona said softly as she wiped the corner of her eye.

"Surgery not go well?" Callie asked, quickly realizing that maybe Arizona was upset because of a failed surgery.

"No, no, surgery went great. Mother and baby will both be fine," Arizona said, a small measure of pride in her voice.

"Stupid of me to ask," Callie commented, sitting down beside Arizona. "Of course you rocked your surgery. You're a fetal badass," she said with a smile as she nudged Arizona with her shoulder.

"A 'fetal badass'?" Arizona replied with a grin and a small laugh. "That just sounds all kinds of wrong."

Callie laughed. "Yeah, I probably could have worded it better," she agreed.

Arizona noticed how closely Callie was sitting next to her so she subtly shifted away from the brunette. Having Callie so near only made it harder for her.

"You done for the day?" Callie asked. She knew Arizona had no more surgeries; she just wanted to see if Arizona would manufacture some excuse to skip dinner.

"Yes," Arizona said, slowly nodding her head. "Herman told me to go home."

"Then Sofia and I expect to see you for dinner," Callie said firmly.

"Callie…" Arizona heart was a jumble of emotions and she didn't know if she could bear to be around the other woman just yet.

"No excuses, Arizona," Callie said as she stood up. "Usual time, like always."

"Callie, I don't think I can," Arizona protested weakly.

"Arizona, Sofia has been looking forward to it all week, especially since you missed Saturday." Callie didn't want to push the blonde, but enough was enough.

Arizona's shoulder slumped in resignation. She'd have to suck it up and get past it. Her daughter was too important for her to play this crazy avoidance game with Callie. She nodded her acceptance.

"Good, we'll see you in a little while," Callie said reaching for the door. She turned to face Arizona once more. "I've been looking forward to it, too, Arizona," she said before leaving the room.

Arizona's head snapped up in surprise with Callie's words, but Callie had already left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:**** She's My Wife (Secret Santa Fic for pensco_927)**

**Author:****captstarbuck**

**Beta/Editor:****Stacy d'Lacy (best beta on the planet)**

**Pairing: ****Callie/Arizona**

**Rating: ****T**

**Secret Santa Prompt**: _**Callie and Arizona have reunited, but are dating slowly (still living apart while they get to know who they are now), and no one knows. What happens to their relationship when their friends at the hospital decide to get involved to make them move on with their lives? Rating: Author's preference**_

**Disclaimers: ****All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual****.**

Chapter 3

After Callie had left, Arizona had gone straight to Alex's house to shower and change. Even though she had been living with Jo and Alex for months, she still couldn't call it 'home'. It was just… where she slept. Home would always be where her heart was; home would always be with Callie, even if she was destined to live alone for the rest of her life.

Living with the younger couple hadn't been too bad. Because of her insane hours with Herman's fellowship, Arizona was only there infrequently, spending more time at the hospital than anywhere else. The three of them rarely had the same hours, so Arizona often had the house to herself. She had mixed feelings on being alone in the large house. She enjoyed the time to herself, but she was also starved for companionship. A lunch here and there with April was about the only company she had, other than her dinners and 'playdates' with Callie and Sofia. She lived for the times when she had Sofia over. It wasn't the greatest situation, but having her daughter to herself those few evenings or on those rare days when she had a day off with Sofia was everything to her.

She dressed casually, jeans and a blue sweater, for her dinner with Callie and Sofia. She checked her outfit and her hair one more time in the mirror before leaving. She tried not to overthink what she was going to say to Callie. At the very least she would have to apologize. She'd crossed a line and she was determined to let Callie know it wouldn't happen again, that she wouldn't jeopardize their new friendship.

The blonde had hardly made it onto the front walk before the front door was flung open. Sofia stood in the doorway with a wide smile on her face. Callie was behind her, a matching smile adorning the Latina's face.

"Mama!" Sofia said as she bolted down the walk to Arizona.

"Hi, Sofia," Arizona said, sweeping Sofia up into arms. "I missed you so much," the blonde said as she peppered her daughter's face with small kisses.

"I miss you, too, Mama," the young girl said as she giggled from Arizona's attention.

"Hey," Arizona greeted Callie as the blonde carried Sofia into the house.

There wasn't much time for playing or talking as Arizona had been a few minutes late and dinner was ready. Even though they'd both sworn to themselves that they wouldn't avoid one another, the two women let their daughter dominate the talk at the dinner table. Happy to see her Mama, Sofia had forgotten her disappointment over Arizona missing their trip to the movies the previous Saturday. She animatedly babbled through the meal, telling her Mama all about the latest Disney movie she'd seen. It had been a big deal for the girl to go to the movie theater instead of watching a movie at home, and Arizona was sorry she'd missed it.

Somehow during dinner, Sofia had seemingly got more spaghetti sauce on her than in her. Arizona helped Sofia down from her booster seat while Callie began to clear the table.

"You, missy, need a bath," Arizona said to Sofia as she tried to wipe her daughter's face off.

"Now?" Sofia asked.

"Yes, now. I think you even have spaghetti in your ears," Arizona teased.

Sofia giggled and ran down to the hall to the bathroom. The little girl hadn't hit the stage where she fussed over having to take a bath, and Arizona hoped her daughter never did.

"I'll clean up if you want to give Sofia her bath," Callie offered.

"Oh, no, Callie, I'll take care of the dishes. You go ahead."

"I insist. You missed bath time on Saturday."

"If you're sure…"

"Go," Callie said as she put her hands on Arizona's hips to urge her down the hallway. She ignored the shudder she felt when she touched the blonde, and she ignored the tingling in her own hands.

"Mama!" Sofia called out impatiently. "I'm waiting!"

"She is so your daughter," Arizona laughed as she followed her daughter's voice.

As the tub filled, Sofia rooted around in the small box of toys that she had for the bathtub. She held several plastic soldiers in one hand and a boat in the other while Arizona undressed her. The blonde smiled as she knew the toys had been a gift from her father; she'd had similar toys growing up.

She lifted Sofia up and placed her in the warm water.

"Let me wash you before you play, Sofia," she said as she poured soap onto a washcloth.

"Hurry, Mama. I want to play," Sofia said. The little girl made motorboat noises as she pushed the small boat around the water.

It didn't take long for Arizona to wash the errant spaghetti sauce from her daughter's arms and face. She quickly washed Sofia's dark hair, spiking it up with the shampoo first before she rinsed it. Sofia loved it when her Mama made shapes from the lather.

While she got Sofia's towel ready, the young girl carefully placed the small soldiers along the edge of the tub.

"It's a 'nami wave. Watch out!" Sofia said as she pulled her arm back.

Seeing what Sofia was about to do, Arizona called out, "Sofia, no!"

She was too late. Her daughter scooped up an armful of water toward the soldiers. The water hit the edge of the tub, knocking the soldiers to the floor and sending the splash into Arizona.

Callie had finished loading the dishes into the dishwasher and had wiped down the kitchen. She'd been walking toward the bathroom when she'd heard Arizona's "No!" She quickly broke into a run, reaching the bathroom as the water hit Arizona. She hid her grin behind her hand as she saw the shocked look on the blonde's face.

"Sofia Robbin!" Arizona scolded.

"I'm so sorry, Arizona," Callie apologized as she handed the dripping wet blonde a towel. "Sofia's started playing tsunami in the tub."

"Callie, I'm soaking wet," Arizona complained as she gratefully took the towel. "A little warning would've been nice."

"I'm sorry, Mama," Sofia apologized with a tearful, contrite pout. "I dint mean to get you wet."

"It's okay, Sofia," Arizona said soothingly. "I'm not angry. I'm just… surprised." She leaned over and removed her daughter from the tub. "I didn't know I'd needed to wear my swimsuit tonight," she teased as she bopped Sofia's nose.

Sofia giggled at the thought of her mother wearing a swimsuit to take a bath. She threw her arms around Arizona's neck as the blonde wrapped the towel around Sofia.

"Let's get you dried off and into your jammies," Arizona said, setting Sofia back down.

"I'll, uh, I'll go get you a dry shirt," Callie stuttered, averting her eyes from the wet shirt that now clung to Arizona's body. She didn't want to think about the feelings that had been stirred up by that sight.

"Thank you, Callie."

While Arizona changed her shirt in the bathroom, Callie tucked Sofia into bed. The Latina stayed in the room while Arizona curled up on Sofia's bed and read her a story. Callie loved watching the two of them together. Sofia always held onto the bottom of Arizona's shirt and stared at her Mama until her eyes started to droop. Callie could never understand why Arizona had ever thought she couldn't be a mother. The blonde was a natural, and it was obvious how much she loved her daughter.

"She's out," Arizona whispered as she gently loosened Sofia's grip on the oversized t-shirt Arizona wore. She carefully got off the bed without disturbing her daughter.

"You're so good with her," Callie blurted.

"She's my daughter," Arizona said, blushing. "She's a wonderful little girl."

"And you're a wonderful mother," Callie continued with another heartfelt compliment, causing Arizona cheeks to further redden.

"No, Callie. You are. You've done a terrific job with her in my… my absence."

"Arizona…"

"So, it's getting late. I should probably head out," the blonde said, stepping into the living room. "Is it okay if I bring your shirt to work tomorrow? Mine isn't dry yet," Arizona rambled.

"Arizona, don't leave yet."

"Callie, I think it would be best if I did."

"No, stay and have a glass of wine with me. We need to talk."

Arizona knew this was it. She was finally going to have to face Callie. "Okay," she said quietly.

"White or red?" Callie asked as she went into the kitchen.

"White, please," Arizona answered, following Callie into the room. She waited in silence as Callie took out the glasses and two bottles of wine, white for her and red for herself. Arizona couldn't help but dread the talk that was coming. Her parents' voices echoed in her mind, her father's 'all actions have consequences' followed by her mother's slightly more gentle 'the time always comes when you have to pay the piper'. The blonde mentally told her parents to shut up.

Glasses in hand, the two women returned to the living room. Arizona shut her eyes and let herself enjoy one last civil, friendly moment before it would all come screeching to a halt.

"Can I just say something first, Callie?" Arizona bravely asked.

"If it's about last week, then no," Callie replied, sitting down beside Arizona on the sofa. "I need to talk first. I need to tell you something."

Arizona took a big gulp of wine from her glass before turning to face the other woman. "So? What did you want to tell me?"

"So, I've been thinking a lot since last week, when you…"

"When I kissed you," Arizona finished the sentence. "And I'm really sorry about that, Callie. I don't know –"

"Stop," Callie said, cutting the blonde off. "Let me finish, okay?"

Arizona nodded in defeat. That stupid, stupid kiss was going to be the end of them. She was positive. She waited for Callie to gather her thoughts.

"So?" she asked after Callie remained silent.

"I think it's time we started dating again," Callie blurted.

Arizona felt her stomach drop. She expected maybe a little anger from Callie, maybe even more than a little. This… this was the worst thing she could hear.

"What? I don't understand, Callie. Are you dating… do you want to date someone now? I'm… I don't want to date anyone right now… I'm not ready for that," she sputtered.

Callie watched Arizona's face turn from a look of dread to outright devastation. She realized that although she understood what she was saying and how she felt, Arizona had no idea. "Wait, no, that's not what I mean," she tried to explain.

"I get that you're probably ready to move on, and I appreciate you giving me a heads up," Arizona continued, not hearing Callie. "But honestly, Callie, I don't think I'm ready to hear it yet." The blonde set her glass down and started to get up from the sofa.

Callie immediately stuck her hand out and stopped the blonde. "Wait. I got this all wrong. You don't understand."

"What's there to understand? You're moving on. Good for you."

"Just stop, Arizona," Callie said. "Just listen to me, please."

Fighting the urge to flee, Arizona reluctantly sank back onto the sofa. She waited for Callie to explain. She was definitely surprised to see the brunette now looking a little nervous.

"I meant us," Callie said in a soft, almost timid voice.

"What do you mean?" Arizona asked. The devastation she'd felt only moments ago had now turned to utter confusion.

"These months apart, and then these past few weeks when we've gotten to spend time together… It's made me realize a few things."

"Like what?" Arizona asked nervously.

"We needed the time apart, Arizona. Things had gotten so bad between us. Really bad. So many things kept happening to us and we both handled everything so badly."

"Not both of us," Arizona said with a bit of self-hatred showing in her voice. "I broke us. It was my fault."

"No, I'm not going to let you accept all the blame. We both had a part in it." She took a long sip from her wine. "But that's not what I want to talk about. We've done nothing but talk about it all, and I'm done with talking about it," she said firmly and sincerely. "It's in the past."

Arizona looked down at the glass in her hands. She took a deep, calming breath, hoping that it would help.

"Arizona, I just wanted to tell you that I like you."

The blonde looked up and saw nothing but warmth in Callie's eyes and smile. _What does that mean? She likes me as a friend? I don't understand what she's trying to tell me._

Callie saw the confusion and a little bit of fear in Arizona's eyes. She smiled again, trying to allay some of the fear that Arizona was clearly feeling.

"Look, I'm not the one who's good at giving speeches. We both know that." They shared a smile. "But I do know that I like Arizona Robbins, awesome mother to an amazing little girl, peds surgeon extraordinaire, and fetal badass." They both grinned at Callie's choice of words. "And I don't just like her. I love her. I'm still in love with her," Callie admitted.

Arizona's mouth dropped open, stunned by Callie's words. She was so shocked she couldn't speak.

"Arizona, I have missed you so much. This time apart made me really think about us. Yes, things were really bad, but having spent these few weeks together, let me know, made me think about how good things were, too." She took Arizona's hand, the first time they'd truly shared a touch since they'd split. "It's given me a chance to see how good it can be for us." Callie raised Arizona's hand and laid a gentle kiss on the pale skin. "I've really missed you, Arizona, and I want you back. I want us back." She took a deep breath. "I love you."

Arizona was still speechless, and Callie was beginning to wonder if she'd regret what she'd told the blonde. She'd been positive that Arizona had felt the same way, but given the blonde's silence, she was beginning to have her doubts.

Arizona's hand tightened around Callie's. "I love you, too," she said softly. She gazed into Callie's eyes for a moment before speaking again. "But what does this all mean for us?" she asked, unable to mask the anxiety that was creeping in once more.

"I think… I'd like to start dating again," Callie said. "Us, I mean," she added, remembering how Arizona had misunderstood her earlier declarations. "I want us to start dating, take it slowly. Not dinner with Sofia, or family days, though those are great and I still want them. I just want us, the adult hot, sexy women that we are, to date."

"Oh, I, uh, okay," Arizona said, her brain fighting past the words 'hot' and 'sexy' and all the images that it conjured up.

"And I think maybe sex should be off the table, at least for a little while," Callie said, even though it wasn't what she really wanted. "We've used sex in the past, as fantastic as it was, to avoid things, and I don't want to repeat that."

"Okay. That's probably a good idea." Arizona swallowed her disappointment. "But we can still kiss, right?" she asked with a mischievous smile.

"Oh, definitely," Callie said, moving closer to the blonde. "And maybe, after a few dates, I'll let you feel me up," she smirked.

"I'm looking forward to that," Arizona grinned as fell into Callie's embrace. She leaned in to kiss Callie, but the brunette stopped her. "What? Why did you stop me?"

"We haven't gone on a date yet," Callie said.

"So when are we going to?" Arizona asked impatiently.

"How's tomorrow night? You can meet me here after work. I'll get a sitter and we can have a night on the town."

"Sounds wonderful," Arizona agreed. "It's a date."


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:**** She's My Wife (Secret Santa Fic for pensco_927)**

**Author:****captstarbuck**

**Beta/Editor:****Stacy d'Lacy (best beta on the planet)**

**Pairing: ****Callie/Arizona**

**Rating: ****T**

**Secret Santa Prompt**: _**Callie and Arizona have reunited, but are dating slowly (still living apart while they get to know who they are now), and no one knows. What happens to their relationship when their friends at the hospital decide to get involved to make them move on with their lives? Rating: Author's preference**_

**Disclaimers: ****All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual****.**

Chapter 4

Arizona was grateful that Alex and Jo were still at work when she'd gone to the house to get ready for her date with Callie. She didn't want to have to answer a lot of questions that were sure to come if they'd seen her all dressed up. She didn't know where Callie was taking her. All she'd received was a cryptic text telling her to 'wear something fancy'. That didn't leave her with a lot of options. Most of her nicer clothes were still in boxes. Closet space was limited where she now lived and it wasn't practical to fill the closet with clothes she didn't expect to wear any time soon.

The blonde looked over the clothes that were hanging in the closet. She smiled when she found the red dress that had always been one of Callie's favorites. When she'd moved into Alex's house, she couldn't bring herself to pack it away. At the time, she'd mentally chastised herself for hanging on to it, but having it there had brought her some sort of hope.

Smiling to herself, Arizona took the dress out and carefully laid it across the bed. This would be the perfect dress for their date. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. She still had plenty of time to do her hair and makeup so that it would be perfect. She wanted to impress Callie; she wanted Callie to see what she'd been missing.

An hour later she was parking her car on the street in front of the house. She wasn't sure if Callie would be driving or not, so she didn't want to block Callie's car in the driveway. She pulled her coat tighter against the early February chill and tried not to look too eager as she made her way to the front door.

Her knock on the door was answered by the babysitter.

"Oh, hi, Dr. Robbins," the young woman said.

"Good evening, Tamara," Arizona said. The college sophomore had been babysitting Sofia on and off for two years. Even after splitting up with Callie, Arizona still called on her from time to time. "Is Dr. Torres here?"

"Yes, she said she'd be out in a minute."

"Mama!" Sofia called out when she saw Arizona step into the house. She quickly ran to her mother.

"Are you here for dinner?"

"No, Mommy and I are going out to dinner."

"Can I come?"

"No, you're staying here and having lots of fun with Tamara."

"But I wanna go with you."

"Not tonight."

Heading off the tantrum that was sure to come, Tamara picked Sofia up. "Don't you want to stay here with me, Sof? We're going to watch a movie. Won't that be fun? And I brought a new book for us to read, too."

"You did?" Sofia asked, her despair at being left behind gone.

"I did."

Arizona gave the younger woman a grateful smile and made a mental note to herself to tip Tamara extra when they returned.

"What do you say we go start the popcorn for the movie?" Tamara asked as she carried a smiling Sofia into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Callie came into the room, her hands busy with putting in an earring. "Sorry I'm a little late. I had a run in my last pair of stockings so I had to go buy a new pair."

"No problem," Arizona managed to say, her eyes and mind almost completely focused on Callie's perfectly fitting black dress. "You look really nice, Callie." The blonde swallowed hard, her eyes drinking in Callie. "Your dress, is it new?" she asked.

"Um, no, I don't think so." Callie pondered for a minute. "I think I bought it last fall, but never got a chance to wear it, so, yeah, I guess it is new."

"it's great, really great," Arizona muttered.

"You ready to go?" Callie asked as she reached into the closet for her coat. She was pleased with Arizona's reaction to the black dress. It was nice to know that she still had that effect on the blonde.

"I'm all set."

"Okay, then." Callie grabbed her purse and led the way to the door, calling out a 'good night' to Sofia and her babysitter. She'd already gone over the instructions with Tamara, even though she really didn't need to. The younger woman had the routine down and knew how to reach the two doctors if there was an emergency.

"So where are we going?" Arizona asked as they got into Callie's T-bird. It had been a long time since they'd gone for a drive in it. It just wasn't practical anymore but Callie refused to give it up.

"You'll know when we get there," Callie said with an enigmatic smile.

Arizona buckled her seat belt and looked over at Callie. The blonde remembered one of the last times they'd been in the car together. Mark had Sofia for the weekend so they'd taken a drive to the Cascades. It had been a fun, relaxing day and they'd both flirted outrageously with one another all day. On the way home, they'd found a deserted rest area where under the cover of darkness had some of the hottest sex Arizona could remember having.

At a stop light Callie glanced over and saw Arizona's cheeks had turned pink. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing in particular," Arizona croaked.

"Right. Like I believe that," Callie teased. "Seriously, what were you thinking about?"

"That drive we took that Saturday when Mark had Sofia."

"Oh, you mean that time we…"

"Yes," Arizona said quickly.

"Oh, yeah, I remember that drive. That was a good time," Callie said, drawing out the word 'good'. "The pit stop we made was the highlight of the day, don't you think?" the Latina teased.

"Absolutely," Arizona agreed immediately, hoping that Callie would stop talking about it.

"Yes," Callie continued. "That is probably the fondest memory I have of driving this car."

Before Callie could further Arizona's embarrassment, Arizona cut her off when she realized where they were. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"Positive."

Arizona wished she felt as sure as Callie. They were parked in front of the Brasserie Margaux, the French restaurant they'd dined in years ago with near-disastrous results.

"We can go someplace else if you really want to, Arizona."

"No, no, it's okay. It's just, well, I'm surprised you picked this."

"I know that the first time we came here it didn't turn out so well. I thought, you know, we could give this another chance, just like we're giving us another chance." Callie looked down, almost shyly. "I just wanted our first date to be special, you know?"

Arizona's face was full of adoration for her wife. She leaned over and gave Callie a soft kiss on her cheek. "It's a wonderful idea, Callie."

The two women entered the restaurant where Callie had made reservations. They followed the maître d' to a table for two. After hanging up her coat, Callie turned to take Arizona's. She stopped, unable to move or say anything for a moment.

"You wore the red dress," she whispered to Arizona.

"I wore the red dress," Arizona said, her smile bordering on a smirk.

She handed Callie her coat and they sat down, Callie's eyes never leaving Arizona. The blonde was more than pleased to find out that Callie was still attracted to the extent that she was.

They each ordered a glass of wine and neither looked at the price of the entrees as they selected their dinners. This time there were no money worries for Callie, and no stress of thinking about whether that night would be ending in sex. With sex deferred for the time being, they were able to relax and appreciate the dinner. Both of them had forgotten what it was like to just have an evening out and enjoy one another's company.

Once dinner was over they walked back to the car, their hands brushing against one another's. Feeling brave, and probably fortified by the glass of wine she'd had with dinner, Arizona reached for Callie's hand.

"Is this okay?"

"More than okay," Callie replied, squeezing Arizona's hand.

The Latina loved how Arizona's hand fit in hers, and she'd missed it. During the months before the breakup, they'd stopped the simple things like hand holding. Everything had been too hard, too much of a struggle. Maybe holding hands could be the first step to getting them back to an 'us', maybe appreciating the little things was one of the things that had been missing.

The drive back to the house was quiet. Arizona laid her hand on Callie's thigh the whole way back. It wasn't meant to be sexual; it was an affectionate gesture, and Callie was warmed by the action.

"Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee?" Callie suggested as she parked the car.

"Sure, that'd be nice."

While Callie paid the sitter (giving her an extra tip at Arizona's recommendation), the blonde made a pot of coffee. Arizona felt a little weird whenever she was in the kitchen. Even though she'd helped with dinner or made coffee the past few weeks, it had been as a guest; a guest in a place that had once been her home.

"All set? How was Sofia?" Arizona asked as she poured them each a cup of coffee.

"Tamara said Sofia was sound asleep before they were halfway through the book. Apparently the movie they watched was one Sofia had seen about a dozen times, so you know what happened next."

"Sofia just had to sing and dance to every song after the movie ended," Arizona finished.

They shared a smile, both women knowing all too well how Sofia loved to sing and act out the movies she knew. It was a running joke between them how Sofia mangled the words every time.

"So," Callie began. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

Arizona wished, just once, that it wouldn't feel like her heart stopped every time she heard those words. It seemed that every time someone said that to her, bad news followed. It was especially jarring to hear them after she'd had a great evening with Callie. She also hated that she couldn't help but compare it to how she and Callie had made love one night and the next day Callie was ending their marriage. She hoped that this wasn't going to be the same situation.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Callie said. When she saw the look of dread on Arizona's face, the Latina knew once again she'd used the wrong words. "Damn it," she cursed herself. "Let me try this again," she said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Just say it, Callie," Arizona said resignedly.

"No, it's not that. I just… I want to keep this between us. Just for a little while." She gently grasped Arizona's hand. "It's not that I'm ashamed of dating you or anything like that. It's just… our friends mean well and everything, but for once I'd like to not have everyone butting into our lives. I want it to be us, just the two of us, figuring this all out."

"I agree," Arizona replied with a relieved nod. The last thing she wanted to be was the subject of more hospital gossip.

Callie's shoulders sagged in relief. She wasn't sure if Arizona would go along with her suggestion. She'd been thinking about it all day and had been nervous about approaching _Arizona. In the past, she wouldn't have… No, _she stopped herself_. That's the past. It's not where we are now_.

Arizona set her empty coffee mug down. "It's getting late. I should probably get going. I've got early rounds and then a consult with Herman."

Callie retrieved Arizona's coat from the closet while the blonde rinsed out her mug in the sink. They met in the foyer where Callie helped Arizona into her coat. Before the Latina could open the door, Arizona stopped her.

"If I remember correctly," the blonde said with smile, "I think _someone_ said something about a kiss on the first date."

Pale fingers traced darker skin, starting at just below Callie's ear and stopping at the collar bone. Callie loved flirty Arizona, even when the blonde was being bad at it.

"Hmm, you sure about that?" Callie asked, stepping closer to Arizona.

"I'm pretty positive," Arizona answered, her lips brushing against Callie's. "Maybe you could refresh my memory?"

The kiss started out chaste and tentative, almost as if they were afraid to kiss. Once they got past the initial awkwardness, they quickly deepened the kiss. For both of them, the kiss felt like coming home. It was if years of pain and turmoil had vanished.

It was Arizona who gradually brought the kiss to an end. "I love you, Callie, but I really have to go, or this moment is going to turn into something that wouldn't be first date appropriate."

"I know, I know," Callie murmured against Arizona's neck. She wasn't quite ready for the night to end, but she knew it had to.

"I'll see you at work or you can text me about our plans with Sofia this weekend."

"Okay."

"Thank you for the lovely evening, Calliope," Arizona said as she gave Callie a brief kiss before hurrying out the door.

"She called me Calliope," Callie said to herself as she watched Arizona drive away.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:**** She's My Wife (Secret Santa Fic for pensco_927)**

**Author:****captstarbuck**

**Beta/Editor:****Stacy d'Lacy (best beta on the planet)**

**Pairing: ****Callie/Arizona**

**Rating: ****T**

**Secret Santa Prompt**: _**Callie and Arizona have reunited, but are dating slowly (still living apart while they get to know who they are now), and no one knows. What happens to their relationship when their friends at the hospital decide to get involved to make them move on with their lives? Rating: Author's preference**_

**Disclaimers: ****All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual****.**

Chapter 5

As the weeks progressed, the frequency of their dates increased. They still had their scheduled family dinners (or breakfast when work interfered) with Sofia and family time on the weekend, but they often turned 'family' time into 'dates' once Sofia was asleep. They also managed, somehow, to squeeze in a date once a week, even if it was only to meet for lunch outside the hospital.

Their friends and colleagues at work noticed a difference in the two women, but had no clue what was going on between them. The general consensus around the hospital was that Callie and Arizona had finally reached the "amicable" stage of their breakup. They still called one another "Dr. Torres" and "Dr. Robbins" at work, but the bitterness had left their voices. For the most part, everyone had given a sigh of relief that there were no more loud arguments occurring within the walls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Sensing a lightness about the women, a betting pool had started amongst some of the doctors as to which of the two was going to start dating first and when the first date would occur. When Miranda Bailey had found out, she'd been appalled. She read the riot act to interns and attendings alike. She hated when the staff went beyond genuine concern into meddling. Her friends had been through enough over the past few years and it was time they were left alone.

Unfortunately, the general surgeon's words were only heard by those who'd been directly involved in the betting. The rest of their friends continued on with their well meaning interference.

One afternoon, about two months after Callie and Arizona had started dating again, Callie found herself in the cafeteria. She'd hoped to have lunch with Arizona but Meredith had waved her over to a table. The Latina plopped down in a chair opposite her friend. From her seat she had a good view of Arizona who was having lunch with April. Callie studied the blonde in hopes that she could find some answer to what had happened last night. She hadn't pressed Arizona for an explanation then, but she was going to get some answers today. Of that she was certain.

The Latina had barely taken the lid off her salad when she felt the presence of someone standing next to her. She looked up and saw the new scrub nurse, Nancy. The woman was beautiful, Callie had to admit. Nancy was tall, blonde and had gorgeous green eyes. Rumor had it that there were a whole slew of doctors, men and women both, that were lusting after the new hire.

"Hey, Nancy," Callie said.

"Dr. Grey, Dr. Torres" Nancy said her voice low and husky upon saying the Ortho surgeon's name.

Meredith's eyes widened and an amused smirk crossed her face. Callie seemed to be a little distracted and oblivious to the scrub nurse's intentions.

"What's up, Nancy?" Callie asked, not really paying attention to the way the scrub nurse was looking at her. The Latina was much more interested in watching Arizona, who now had a somewhat panicked look on her face.

"Do you want to join us?" Meredith interrupted.

"No, thank you. I have to get back upstairs. I've only got a few minutes before I'm scrubbing in again." She turned her attention back to Callie. "So, Dr. Torres, I was wondering if you'd like to go out for drinks tonight."

"What? Tonight?" Callie sputtered. She finally took notice of Nancy and she found the women's almost predatory gaze a little disconcerting. "Oh, I have Sofia tonight."

"I can take her," Meredith offered. "I'm sure Zola would love to spend some time with Sofia." A sharp kick to her shin and a 'what the fuck' look from Callie stopped Meredith from speaking any further.

"No, I don't think so. Not tonight." Callie offered a half-smile to Nancy. "But thanks for asking."

"Maybe some other time?" Nancy persisted. The willowy blonde's beeper went off. "Think about it, okay?" Her hand dropped to Callie's shoulder. "You know where to find me," she said before she hurried from the cafeteria.

"What the hell, Meredith," Callie said after Nancy left.

"It's just drinks, Callie," Meredith said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Right," Callie grumbled.

"Look, you've finally seemed to have snapped out of your post-breakup funk. What's wrong with going out with the hot new scrub nurse?"

Callie scowled at her friend's meddling. "No. It's my time with Sofia."

"So go out with Nancy on a night when you don't have Sofia." Meredith smiled slyly. "Or you could always ask Arizona to take Sofia."

"That's just mean, Meredith. I'd never do that."

"Callie, I think it's time to move on. You're ready. You've worked out the whole custody thing with Arizona and you both seem to have gotten over it."

"No. I'm… I'm not in place where I can date other women," Callie said carefully.

"Who said anything about dating?" Meredith countered. "I'm pretty sure that she isn't looking to 'date' you." Meredith smirked again.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, Callie. We both how much you like… 'cheeseburgers', right? How long has it been since you've had a cheeseburger?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Callie asked, then she immediately recalled the drunken night when she and Meredith had talked about cheeseburgers.

"You'd seriously turn down cheeseburgers with the hot scrub nurse?" Meredith prodded Callie.

"You know, Grey, you keep calling her 'hot'. Maybe you should go out with her."

"I'm not blind, Callie, and if I wasn't so fond of penis, even I'd consider it." Meredith took a sip from her soda. "Besides, if you don't, I'm sure the hot scrub nurse –"

"Her name is Nancy," Callie said sharply. "Stop calling her that."

"Fine," Meredith huffed. "If you don't, I'm sure _Nancy_ will just find another available lesbian to hit on." Meredith turned her head and flicked her eyes toward Arizona and April. "Just saying."

"That's stupid. Arizona wouldn't."

"Why wouldn't she? She's single and from what I've heard, she hasn't been having any cheeseburgers either."

"You need to stop calling it that. It's just weird now," Callie said, trying to change the subject.

"Callie," Meredith's teasing tone switched to one of concern, stopping Callie from going off on one of her infamous rants. "It's okay to move on. It's the healthy thing to do. Besides, you were the one to break up your marriage. You don't owe Arizona anything."

Callie knew her friend meant well and she was surprised that it hadn't come up until now. She wanted to tell Meredith that she and Arizona were dating again, but she hesitated. She needed to speak with Arizona first. She wasn't going to make unilateral decisions for her and Arizona any more.

"I just… I can't. I can't do that right now," Callie said weakly.

"Callie…"

"Please, Meredith. Just drop it."

"Fine," Meredith said picking up her sandwich. "But you should start thinking about it."

The Latina's gaze returned to Arizona and her expression darkened with what she saw.

"So, you've been in a better mood lately," April said to her lunch companion.

"I guess so," Arizona said, her thoughts drifting back to her date with Callie the previous night. Even though they had been dating for over two months, they still hadn't had sex. They'd come close a few times during some rather intense makeout sessions on the couch but clothes had always remained on (for the most part).

Last night Arizona had hesitated when it seemed like they were going to move their activities into the bedroom. She couldn't help but think about the last time they'd made love. Arizona had thought everything was fine, great even, but then Callie had dropped her bombshell the very next day. She couldn't help but wonder if history was going to repeat itself.

Callie had immediately picked up on Arizona's seeming reluctance. Without knowing the reason why, the Latina had delicately backed off. They'd been able to laugh it off, but Arizona could see the concern in Callie's eyes. She definitely needed to talk to Callie. This time around, there would be no secrets between them, no hiding and no fears about sharing their feelings.

Arizona had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear what April had said.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked you how it's going between you and Callie."

"What? Why do you ask?"

"Well, you seem to be getting along a whole lot better than you were before."

"Yes, well, we've made a real effort for Sofia's sake," Arizona said, not really lying but still not altogether truthful. "We've been having a family dinner, well sometimes breakfast, together with Sofia once a week, and every weekend we've tried to spend the day together."

"So the co-parenting is working out? That's great!" April gushed. "I don't know of too many couples who've been able to do that."

"It's for Sofia," Arizona said and she cringed at home lame she sounded.

"Well, that's really good. It's healthy," April plowed on, not really noticing her friend's true reaction.

"I suppose."

Arizona watched as the beautiful new scrub nurse walked up to Callie. She stared at the woman, wondering what she was saying to Callie. When she saw the woman drop her hand onto Callie's shoulder for a brief moment before walking away, Arizona couldn't help but scowl.

"So, do you have any plans this Saturday?" April asked as she peeled the lid from her pudding cup.

"I'm spending the day with Sofia and Callie."

"Well, this would be Saturday evening. Jackson's cousin, Vanessa, is in town. She's here to help out with some hospital legal issues, and we're hosting the hospital board for dinner. Oh, that means you'll have to get a sitter for Sofia as Callie has to come, too." April said. "Will that be a problem?" she asked, her voice suddenly serious.

"No, of course not. It won't be a problem."

"I just wanted to be sure. You sit in board meetings together, but this is a social setting," April rambled on, sincerity in every word. "I wouldn't want to cause any problems for either of you, and I definitely don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"It'll be fine, April," the blonde sighed.

"I think you'll like Vanessa," the red haired woman said with a smile. "She's really smart. She got her medical degree, then her law degree and now she works for the Foundation. She's funny and very pretty," April added.

Arizona suddenly got an uneasy feeling for where this conversation was headed. "April…"

"I really do think you'll like her, Arizona." April leaned in across the table, her eyes darting to the left and then to the right. "She's gay," she whispered then she sat back up. "I told her all about you. She really wants to meet you."

"April, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I really don't think this is a good idea," Arizona said with as much tact that she could muster.

"Arizona, you're in a good place with Callie right now. You both seem to have figured out how to be friendly and… apart. I think it's time you moved on. I think you're ready."

"Oh, no, April, I'm not looking to date anyone at the moment."

"Why not? It's been long enough." April's cheeks turned red, and she lowered her voice again. "It's been a really long time since you've, you know, been to the 'carnival'."

"I'm not having this conversation with you," Arizona snapped.

"I'm sorry, Arizona," April apologized. "It's just, you're my friend and I – I – I'm only looking out for you."

"I know," Arizona sighed. "But please, don't fix me up with anyone. I'm not interested in dating anyone else."

"Don't hate me, Arizona," April said quickly then she looked up and smiled. "Jackson, Vanessa," she greeted her husband and his cousin as they walked over to the table.

"Oh, great," Arizona muttered under her breath. "I'm going to kill you, Kepner," she said through clenched teeth before she faced the two Averys, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Hi, honey," Jackson said, kissing his wife's cheek. He straightened up and turned to Arizona. "Dr. Robbins, I'd like you meet my cousin, Vanessa Avery. Vanessa, this is Dr. Arizona Robbins."

Good genes apparently ran in the Avery family. Vanessa was stunning. She was almost as tall as Jackson, her skin was light brown and she had the same eyes as her cousin. When Arizona stuck out her hand, she couldn't help but notice the other woman quickly give her the once over.

"Ms. Avery, pleased to meet you," Arizona said politely.

"Please, call me Vanessa," she replied, taking Arizona's hand and giving it a firm but somehow still sensuous squeeze.

"Arizona," the peds surgeon offered.

"April and Jackson have told me so much about you."

"All good, I hope," Arizona replied nervously.

"All of it _very_ good," Vanessa said in a sultry voice.

"Oh, well, I'm sure they exaggerated," Arizona as she gently pulled her hand from Vanessa's grasp. "It was nice meeting you, but I have to get back to my patients."

"I hope I'll see you Saturday at dinner," Vanessa said.

Arizona gave the woman a tight nod and quickly walked away. She saw Callie glowering by the exit.

"We need to talk," they said at the same time when they were close enough to whisper.

"My office?" Arizona asked.

"I can't right now," Callie answered as she glanced down at her pager which had begun to beep.

"Text me later," Arizona said to Callie as the Latina hurried out of the cafeteria.

Fortunately for Arizona her day was surgery-free so the lunchtime events wouldn't intrude on any operations she had to perform. Unfortunately for her, it left a lot of time for her to think. Her impending sex with Callie and the talk the blonde wanted to have with her about it was no longer her number one priority. Vanessa flirting with her, and what looked like the hot new scrub nurse hitting on Callie was now at the top of the list.

With a stack of research in her hands, Arizona quickly holed up in her office. She paced for a few minutes, her mind jumbled with her thoughts. She and Callie had never had the 'exclusive' dating talk. She wondered if Callie wanted to see other women. _Maybe she wants to because I'm hesitant about the sex,_ she thought. _I love her, and I know she loves me, but maybe what we're doing isn't enough. Could she be hedging her bets? Maybe she needs a backup in case we don't work out_.

Arizona continued to worry about her upcoming talk with Callie. It wasn't that she had anything bad to say to her wife; she'd done nothing wrong. She was just a little fearful of what Callie might say.

Her phone beeped, letting her know she had a text message.

C – When are you free?

A – My shift ends at 4.

C – Meet at our bench?

A – Yes. See you then.

Somewhat relieved that she at least knew when they were going to talk, Arizona flopped down onto the sofa and picked up one of the folders she'd brought. For a few hours she could try to distract herself with work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Callie was already sitting on the bench when Arizona arrived. She sat down beside the Latina and gave her a little nudge with her shoulder.

"Hey."

Callie smiled and quickly took Arizona's hand in hers. "The weirdest thing happened to me today," Callie said.

"Me, too." She leaned her head on Callie's shoulder. She patiently waited for Callie to continue. It wasn't easy, and she'd been jumping to conclusions all afternoon. Whatever Callie was going to tell her couldn't possibly be worse than anything her imagination had conjured up.

"So, Nancy the scrub nurse asked me out for drinks," Callie finally said.

Arizona bit her lip and looked at their clasped hands. She swallowed hard and fought the urge to ask Callie all the questions that ran through her mind.

"I turned her down."

"Did you want to go?" Arizona asked timidly.

"No."

"Because I'd understand if you did. We never said if we were going to date others."

"Do you want to?"

Arizona could hear the fear in Callie's voice and her heart ached for the Latina. "Absolutely not," she replied, her voice strong and clear. "You're the only one I want, Calliope."

"Me, too." Callie leaned over and kissed Arizona's temple. "So what was that at lunch?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound like she was accusing the blonde.

Arizona groaned and rolled her eyes. "April and Jackson are trying to set me up with his cousin."

Callie wryly chuckled softly. "We can't win, can we?"

"What do you mean?"

"Even when we try to keep everyone out of our business, they still meddle."

"Do you think we should just tell them?"

"Tell them what? To mind their own business?" Callie laughed. "Even when I tell them to, they don't listen. Grey even encouraged me to have a one night stand with Nancy."

"April kind of hinted at the same thing with me," Arizona said with a laugh of her own. "You don't know the meaning of uncomfortable until you've had April Kepner trying to talk to you about sex."

Callie burst out laughing. "Seriously?"

"Yes." Arizona grinned then grew serious once more. "Should we tell them we're dating?"

"It's none of their business," Callie said. "But I suppose if we don't, it'll keep happening. And I am not looking for my friends to set me up."

"Neither am I."

"So you're okay with letting them know?"

"I'm good with that."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Arizona knew she was the one who needed to bring up what had happened the night before. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Callie, about last night," she started. "I… I don't want you to think it's like before, when I kept saying I was ready and then I couldn't," she said in reference to the first year after the plane crash. "It's not that at all."

Callie gave Arizona's hand a reassuring squeeze, urging her to continue. She knew it was important for her to remain quiet and let Arizona speak.

"I'm… I just… I can't help but think about the last time we made love."

Callie winced, knowing exactly what Arizona was referring to. "Arizona…"

"I'm just a little gun shy, you know, and I don't want to be." She turned to face Callie, not letting go of the Latina's hand. "I really, really, want to make love with you again. It's all I've been thinking about the past few weeks," she confessed.

"Me, too," Callie admitted.

"I just wanted you to know that it's not something you've said or done recently. It's me being overly cautious."

"I thought it might be something like that." Callie sighed. "That's not going to happen again, Arizona. We're both in a different place, we've changed. I'd like to think we've learned something along the way. As long as we keep talking, we'll be fine."

"As long as _talking_ isn't all we're doing," Arizona flirted.

"Oh, you can be sure talking isn't all we'll do," Callie agreed as she leaned in for a kiss.

They exchanged a few tender, but somehow still passionate kisses before mutually pulling away. The way they were both feeling, making out on a park bench was not the best option for them.

"I love you, Calliope."

"I love you, too."

Callie gave Arizona one last quick peck on the lips before sitting back. After a few minutes, she started to laugh.

"What?" Arizona asked, wanting to know what the dark haired woman found so humorous.

"Kepner. Did she really talk to you about sex?" Callie asked incredulously.

"Yes," Arizona replied. "Only she calls it the 'carnival'." Callie's eyes widened in amusement. "Don't ask," the blonde answered. "It's a long story."

"The 'carnival'. That's a new one. Meredith calls it 'having a cheesbuger', and no, don't ask."

They laughed at their friends' euphemisms for sex.

"So, do you have any plans for Friday night?" Arizona asked.

"No, not yet. Why?"

"Do you think you could talk Meredith into having Sofia over for a sleepover with Zola?"

"I think so. Why? What do have in mind?"

"I was thinking that maybe we could get a cheeseburger at the carnival Friday," Arizona said with a sly smile.

"I like the way you think, Dr. Robbins," Callie added as she gave her wife a wink.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:**** She's My Wife (Secret Santa Fic for pensco_927)**

**Author:****captstarbuck**

**Beta/Editor:****Stacy d'Lacy (best beta on the planet)**

**Pairing: ****Callie/Arizona**

**Rating: ****T**

**Secret Santa Prompt**: _**Callie and Arizona have reunited, but are dating slowly (still living apart while they get to know who they are now), and no one knows. What happens to their relationship when their friends at the hospital decide to get involved to make them move on with their lives? Rating: Author's preference**_

**Disclaimers: ****All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual****.**

Chapter 6

Standing in front of the door to Jackson and April's apartment, Arizona smoothed the non-existent wrinkles from her navy blue dress. The dress had a conservative cut, but still had an elegant flair. The blonde was a little late, but it couldn't be helped. She'd planned on going to the dinner party with Callie, but she'd been called into the hospital. Surgery hadn't been needed, but she was at the hospital longer than she'd wanted to be. She'd been left with just enough time to go to Alex's house, shower and change. Fortunately, she'd already picked out her shoes and dress, saving her some time.

She quickly gave the door a few sharp knocks. April opened the door almost immediately.

"Arizona, you made it," the younger woman said, greeting her friend with a quick hug.

"Sorry I'm late."

"Not a problem. We're still having drinks. Dinner won't be ready for another half an hour."

"Am I the last one?" Arizona asked as she followed April into the apartment.

"Yes, but Owen got here about fifteen minutes ago." April lowered her voice. "He brought Dr. Shepherd as his date."

"Derek is his date?" Arizona asked confused.

"No, the other Shepherd, silly," April gently smacked Arizona's arm. "Amelia."

"Oh, right."

"You and Callie are the only ones who didn't bring a date. Dr. Bailey brought Ben, and Dr. Webber is here with Jackson's mom." The younger woman leaned in and whispered. "Jackson's still not too thrilled about that."

"He'll get over it," Arizona said encouragingly.

"Can I get you a drink?"

"White wine, and I can get it myself. Just point me in the right direction."

"Bar's set up in the kitchen."

Arizona nodded her hellos to Ben and Bailey as she passed them on the way to the kitchen. She spotted Callie standing next to Meredith. Derek was on the other side of the room, and was speaking with Jackson and Owen.

As she reached for the bottle of wine, she heard someone else come into the room.

"Dr. Robbins, you made it," Vanessa Avery said in a husky voice.

"Yes, I did," she said and wondered if she sounded inane. "I got called into the hospital."

"I was afraid you weren't going to be here. I was preparing myself to be disappointed with your absence. Imagine my delight to see you arrive."

Vanessa gaze was intense and there was no doubting the intent in her voice.

"Well, yes, I'm happy to be here to. April is one of my closest friends at the hospital."

Arizona looked back out toward the living room. She caught Callie's eye. She hoped Callie understood that she wanted her to come over.

The Latina sipped from her glass of wine and tried to surreptitiously keep an eye on Arizona. Meredith stepped back and with slightly glassy eyes studied the Latina.

"Oh. My. God," Meredith suddenly said.

"What?"

"You had a cheeseburger last night!" she blurted.

"What? No, I didn't," Callie said, chugging down the remaining wine in her glass.

"Yes, you did. I can tell. That's why you wanted Sofia to have a sleepover."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Callie said, but she was unable to hide the guilt in her voice. She couldn't believe Meredith could tell; that it was that obvious.

"Who was it? Who'd you sleep with? Was it hot nurse Nancy? I bet it was."

"No, it wasn't."

"You know I'm going to find out, Callie."

"There's nothing for you to find out," Callie said, excusing herself. She'd seen the look on Arizona's face and could tell the blonde was uncomfortable. "I'm gonna get another drink."

"Get me one, too, please," Meredith requested.

"Right, right," Callie muttered as she casually made her way across the room. She stopped and spoke briefly to Amelia and Owen, all the while she kept an eye on Arizona.

"So, Arizona, I was wondering if you'd be interested in having dinner with me some night next week?" Vanessa stated.

Had Arizona been single and not in love with Callie, she might have considered the invitation. Vanessa was extremely attractive. She was a woman who had everything Arizona used to be interested in; great beauty, obvious intelligence and plenty of charm. Now, all the blonde wanted was Callie, and Callie only.

"I'm sorry, Vanessa, but I don't think that will be possible," Arizona said politely. "I'm really busy with fetal surgery fellowship and I still help out in Peds, too."

"I'm sure you could find the time. There's this restaurant that Jackson told me about that I'm just dying to try. You wouldn't want me to dine alone."

Arizona almost laughed out loud. "Oh, Vanessa, I don't think you'll have any trouble finding someone to have dinner with."

"I don't want to take just any someone to dinner. I'd rather take you."

"I'm flattered, Vanessa. Really, I am. I just can't go to dinner with you."

Callie sauntered into the kitchen, her hips swaying in a manner that she knew Arizona appreciated. After the night (and morning) she'd spent making love with Arizona, she was sure that every little movement would affect the blonde. Seeing the frank look of lust and love rolled into one that was currently displayed on her wife's face let Callie know she was right.

"Oh, Vanessa, I don't know if you've had a chance to meet Dr. Torres."

"No, I haven't."

Vanessa had been a little late to the dinner party as well, and she'd been more focused on looking for Arizona than in meeting the other doctors. She had met a few of them, but she hadn't talked to the very attractive Latina.

"Callie, this is Vanessa Avery, Jackson's cousin," Arizona said, introducing the two women.

Callie stuck her hand out and Vanessa eagerly grasped it. The lawyer knew she was going to have to reassess her opinion of the staff at her cousin's hospital. There were clearly some very attractive women working there.

"Vanessa, this is Callie Torres, Grey-Sloan's Orthopedic goddess and resident bad ass," Arizona said with a smile. "And my wife," she added proudly, her hand slipping around Callie's waist.

It was almost comical to see the look on Vanessa's face change from intrigued to shock. "Wife?" she asked, her hand falling from Callie's.

"Mmhmm," Arizona said with a nod.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Vanessa stuttered her apology. "April never said you were married."

"I am. Happily, I might add," Arizona said, taking Callie's hand.

Vanessa quietly excused herself and backed out of the kitchen area.

"That was awesome," Callie said. So impressed with Arizona's handling of the flirtatious Vanessa Avery, the Latina forgot for the moment where she was. "Really awesome," she said as she kissed Arizona.

"What are you two doing?" Miranda Bailey said loudly, drawing the attention of the rest of the guests to the two women. "How long has this been going on?"

"Oh, hey, Bailey." Arizona blushed with the attention from the others.

April who had been on her way to the kitchen to get the food ready to serve, stopped dead in her tracks. She was shocked. Bailey's commanding voice had got April's attention in time for her to see Callie kissing Arizona.

"Arizona!" April chastised her friend. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I knew it," Meredith smirked, coming over to the couple. "You were with Arizona last night."

"Yeah, you caught me, Grey. Big whoo," Callie said sarcastically.

"How long?" April persisted. "How long has this been going on?

"Are you back together? What's going on?" Meredith asked.

"Enough," Callie said, her voice stopping everyone from talking at once. "Arizona and I, we're together. We have been for about two months. Stop making such a big deal, okay?"

"I'm going to have to change the seating arrangements," April grumbled, causing Arizona to laugh. She walked past her friend. "You should've told me. I wouldn't have tried to fix you up with Vanessa," she whispered.

"Sorry, April," Arizona said contritely.

"You and I are going to talk this week," April hissed at her friend as she moved to take the food out of the oven.

Arizona nodded. She could only imagine the fallout from keeping it a secret from April. She looked over at Bailey who was glaring at them. Arizona smiled and pulled Callie closer. The general surgeon's face softened at the sight.

"It's about damned time," the short woman said as she poured herself a drink.

"Glad you approve, Bailey."

"Did I say I approve? Did you hear me say that?"

"Thank you, Miranda," Arizona said softly. "It's nice to find out that someone was still rooting for us, even when we couldn't."

"Well, yes, I was," Bailey sputtered, not keen on overly sentimental moments.

"Dinner is ready," April announced after she and Jackson had placed all the food out onto the center island counter.

Callie and Arizona hung back from the small line of doctors who queued up with their plates in hand.

"I love you, Calliope," Arizona said, kissing her wife on the cheek.

"I love you, too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After dinner with the rest of the board, Arizona and Callie decided to stop at Joe's for a drink. They'd dropped Arizona's car off at the house first, then rode together to the bar. As per usual for a Saturday night, the crowd at the bar was large.

"I think I see a couple of spots at the bar," Callie said.

"Oh, good. Would you order me a glass of wine? I need to use the restroom."

"Sure. I'll save you a seat."

The two women parted, Callie weaving through the crowd to the bar to grab the last two seats available while Arizona made her way to the restroom.

"Hey, Joe," Callie said as she sat down at the bar. "White wine and a shot of tequila."

"Hey, Callie. I haven't seen you in a while. What's new?"

Callie grinned, eager to share her news with her old friend. "Well, Joe – "

"Dr. Torres?" a familiar voice interrupted.

Callie pivoted on her bar stool. Nancy slid onto the empty barstool beside the Latina.

"Oh, hey, Nancy."

"I'm surprised, but pleased to see you out tonight. Can I buy you a drink?"

"Oh, no thanks. I'm all set," Callie said, holding up her tequila."

"Well I hope you'll let me get the next one."

"Um, no. I'm only staying for the one," Callie explained.

"That's too bad," Vanessa said after ordering another drink for herself. "You look great."

"Thanks," Callie said. "Dinner with the rest of the board tonight," she explained.

"Sure I can't convince you to stay for one more?" the scrub nurse said. "I'm sure I could make it worth your while to stay a little longer."

Callie shook her head and chuckled. She had to give Nancy credit for her persistence, no matter how unwelcome it was.

"No, I don't think so," Callie said.

Arizona had seen the interloper perch herself on the bar stool next to Callie. She pushed her way back through the crowd, excusing herself as politely as she could when someone blocked her path.

"Did you save me a seat?" she said to Callie as she approached the two women.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is this your seat?" Nancy apologized, hopping down from the stool. "I didn't know."

"No worries," Arizona said with an overly chipper voice. "I didn't need it until now."

"Nancy, do you know Dr. Robbins?" Callie said, a look of mischief in her eyes that Arizona picked up.

"No, I don't believe we've met," the other woman said.

"Dr. Robbins, this is Nancy, the new scrub nurse."

Arizona nodded her greeting as she sat down on the bar stool and picked up her glass of wine.

"Nancy, this is Dr. Arizona Robbins."

Nancy had heard a few things about the blonde doctor perched on the bar stool in front of her. She knew that Dr. Robbins was a member of the board, and she recalled hearing something about the woman being an amputee. Her gaze dropped to the blonde's legs, and she confirmed the gossip she'd heard.

"Dr. Robbins is my wife," Callie said.

The scrub nurse's eyes widened and she mumbled her apologies then quickly left. The way she looked as she slunk off and disappeared into the crowd reminded Arizona of a dog with its tail tucked between its legs.

Arizona laughed. "You took way too much pleasure in doing that, Callie."

"Well, you had your turn at dinner. It was only fair that I got my turn." Callie finished her drink off. "Besides, it's nice being able to call you my wife again."

"Definitely," Arizona agreed, taking Callie's hand as she leaned over to give her wife a kiss.

They chatted briefly with Joe who looked more than just a little pleased to see the two women reunited. He was so pleased, in fact, that he offered the next round on the house, but the couple asked for a raincheck. Now that they no longer lived within walking distance, they were more careful of their drinking habits.

"It's getting late," Callie said as stood up.

"You want to leave now?"

"I do." She helped Arizona down from the bar stool and pulled her close. "Let's go home, Arizona."

"Callie?" Arizona wasn't sure what Callie meant. "Do you mean what I think you mean?"

"Yes. It's time for you to come home."


End file.
